The fair, held in Istanbul from 20 to 22 August 2025, attracted 18,814 attendees from 114 nations, with international visitors making up 43% of this figure.
The event, which was hosted by IHKIB (Istanbul Apparel Exporters Association), focused on Türkiye's design leadership, fashion industry influence, and current opportunities.
With 25,000m2 of exhibition space, the show featured the newest lines in women's, men's, and children's clothing, denim, accessories, and home textiles from a variety of brands and manufacturers.
IHKIB vice president Mustafa Pasahan said: “In just four years, IFCO has become a true success story in the international fashion industry. Since its launch in 2022, the fair has hosted nearly 3,000 exhibitors and welcomed 195,000 professional visitors from 165 countries across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and beyond – firmly positioning Istanbul as a dynamic hub on the global fashion calendar. The 29% increase of international visitors at our 8th edition of IFCO compared to August 2024 underlines the worldwide importance of our platform.”
The Core Istanbul section of the show spotlighted 24 leading Turkish designers including Arzu Kaprol, Hatice Gökçe, Mehtap Elaidi, and Sudi Etuz.
The event also provided a platform for emerging talents such as Belma Özdemir, Gökhan Yavaş, Emre Erdemoğlu and Mert Erkan.
In addition, the exhibition welcomed leading international purchasers such as Asos, Next, Zalando, LPP, Twinset, Everlane, Coach, and Landmark Group.
A significant feature of IFCO was its over 400 B2B meetings that involved 30 Turkish companies and 76 international buying groups.
The IFCO Expo Programme also offered a seminar programme, delivering insights into market trends, innovations, and prospects for the fashion industry.
Speakers including Tatiana Aldrich and Almila Albayraktaroğlu provided analyses on diverse topics such trends in female and male attire, advancements in online commerce, and the integration of AI in fashion.
Panel discussions addressed creative strategies, sustainable product development, and collaboration between industry and academia.
A panel on 21 August focused on digital transformation strategies for the apparel industry with contributions from ITKIB deputy secretary general Özlem Güneş alongside other experts.
The Turkish fashion industry has maintained its strategic importance on a global scale with its 3.2% share of worldwide apparel exports. plus it is the EU’s third-largest supplier.
“In recent years, the Turkish fashion industry has proven its strategic significance despite global and economic challenges. Today, we are setting new standards through high product quality, strong design, digitalisation, and consistent sustainability measures – from recycling and CO2 reduction to social compliance. IFCO represents a key milestone in this journey, demonstrating how we are leveraging transformation to establish Istanbul as one of the leading international fashion hubs of the future,” TIM and IHKIB president Mustafa Gültepe said.
